Our RVN Kelly’s interview with Eagle Radio

As the heatwave continues, pet owners are being advised on how to prevent their animals from suffering with heatstroke or dehydration.

While most of us enjoy the sunshine, our pets may be struggling with the 30C heat.

Kelly Charlton from Godalming Veterinary Surgery urges people not to take pets out during the daytime, she said: “The best thing you can do is leave them be.

“Just don’t take them out in the middle of the day, just keep them indoors.”

She highlights the importance of creating a cool space for your pet by keeping them out of direct sunlight, laying cold towels and freezing water bottles for them to lick or play with.

“The team here are great – providing brilliant care to all of our pets over the years but especially, just recently, to our elderly Labrador. Special thanks to Tania”Sarah Louise

Emergency pets service ‘Vets Now’ claim that it can take just 15 minutes for a dog to die of heatstroke.

They say that heavy panting, fatigue and vomiting are some signs of heat stroke in a dog.

Ms Charlton advises that dogs should be taken on walks before 8am and after 9pm to prevent them from becoming unwell: “It’s just getting too hot during the day, you shouldn’t be taking your dogs out in the middle of the day whatsoever.”

However she also warns us of animal deaths caused by water intoxication, particularly common with dogs: “If you go to the beach just be really careful of animals getting too much water in them.

“When they are excited their mouths are open and it gets into them, they keep drinking as they are panting and it is too much water in the body in a quick period of time.